


Tentative Progress and Horrendous Christmas Jumpers

by Diary



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Bechdel Test Fail, Bittersweet, Bottle Episode Fic, Canon Bisexual Character, Canon Gay Character, Canon Gay Relationship, Christmas Jumpers, Conversations, Established Aaron Dingle/Robert Sugden, Established Relationship, Families of Choice, Introspection, Love, Missing Scene, Multi, POV Bisexual Character, POV Male Character, POV Robert Sugden, Paddy Kirk is Aaron Dingle's Dad, Romance, Self-Reflection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2016-12-30
Packaged: 2018-09-13 10:39:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9120031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: A look at Robert receiving his Christmas jumper from Paddy. Complete.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Emmerdale.

Robert knows he’s probably going to regret this.

He’s had his laugh looking at photos of Aaron in horrendous Christmas jumpers. Until last year, it was a tradition, and despite Aaron's disinterested front, Robert can tell he hopes it will start back up and continue.

Now, Aaron’s going over with gifts for Paddy, and Robert’s coming.

“Ah, Aaron,” Paddy greets with a warm hug. Glancing over, he adds, “Robert.”

“Hiya,” he says.

Paddy launches into talking about presents with Aaron, and Robert tells himself it could be a lot worse.

“Why does Liv get a nice prezzie and I get another stupid jumper,” Aaron grumbles. “Where’s hers?”

Paddy must hear the layers beneath the question, too, because he answers, “You know I love her, Aaron. She’s part of our family. That being said, however, I don’t think us being family would be enough to stop a fifteen-year-old girl from murdering me if I gave her a proper Christmas jumper and you forced her to wear it. You know how they are, all hormonal and- anyway, those jumpers her mum sent are more than enough, yeah?”

“Yeah, alright,” Aaron agrees. He pauses. “Wait this-” He looks over, and Robert wonders what he possibly could have done in the last five minutes of standing in Paddy’s living room.

“Paddy, this is for Robert?”

“Another present for Liv,” Paddy says. “And for me. She has a camera on her mobile and a social media account. Oh, and tell your mum to take plenty of pictures of you and your fiancé. One way or another, they might bring us some comfort eventually.”

Rolling his eyes, Aaron replies, “Yeah, right, I’ll definitely being do that.”

Robert finally manages to snatch the present out of Aaron’s grasp.   

Ignoring Aaron’s “Robert!”, Robert opens the bag and pulls out one of the most horrendous Christmas jumpers he’s ever seen. It’s almost as bad as the one slung over Aaron’s arm.

Looking up, he smiles and softly says, “Thanks, Paddy.”

He can tell Paddy is a bit uneasy at his response, but Paddy simply nods and pulls Aaron into another hug. “Take care, yeah?”

“I will.” Bright-eyed, Aaron adds, “Thanks, Paddy.”

“Of course. I’ll have Leo on New Year’s. Maybe you and Liv can come over.”

Aaron gives Paddy a dirty look but nods. “Are you and Marlon…”

Robert takes off his jacket and slips the jumper on. Despite the pattern, the material is nice and soft, and it fits nicely. Dodging Aaron’s attempts to bat him away and simply escape his grasp, Robert eventually succeeds in removing Aaron’s normal jumper and putting on the horrendous one.

Looking over, Robert feels a pang at the expression on Paddy’s face.

If it were anyone but Robert, Paddy would be unreservedly amused and happy at the scene. Aaron having a good boyfriend, a loving fiancé, a proper husband are all things Paddy would effortlessly and easily give his blessing to.

For anyone else, Robert could blame their disapproval on secretive homophobia, but he’s struck with the fact he truly almost destroyed everything. Worse of all, he almost destroyed Aaron. He almost destroyed any chance he himself had at real happiness. Based on this fifteen minute visit, he’s forced to accept he did destroy all chances of having a good relationship with Aaron’s real dad. He’s never going be a good choice for a boyfriend in Paddy’s eyes, Paddy will always question his love for Aaron, and he’ll certainly never be proper husband material in Paddy’s view.

He and Aaron aren’t going to fall apart because he and Paddy can only just be civil to one another, but- for all he used to think Paddy was just a bumbling do-gooder, he’s come to respect him. Paddy is a good man, and Robert’s seen enough to know, if not for everything in between them, he and Paddy could have fun socialising with one another.

“Anyway, we better get going,” Aaron says.

“Be safe,” Paddy tells him with another hug. Then, looking over, he adds, “Happy Christmas, Robert.”

“You, too,” he says. “Thanks for the jumper. Just so you know, I’ll be taking Liv’s mobile for the next week or two.”

“In that case, Aaron, make sure your mum uses the digital camera, not her older one, and as sad it’ll be, your fiancé will have no one to blame but himself when he ends up dead. Really, fifteen-year-old girls can’t be blamed when it comes to things like this. I’ll help you pick out a nice headstone.”

“I think I’m glad you two are managing to sort of get along,” Aaron replies. “Maybe.”

Robert knows he is.

Giving Aaron a quick kiss, he helps pick up the rest of the presents. “Bye, Paddy.”

“Yeah, bye, Paddy. I love ya.”

“I love you, too,” Paddy says.

Hopefully, someday, Robert can prove, for all his past mistakes and bad actions, he loves Aaron just as much as Paddy does.


End file.
